Couple restores rare architectural treasure

Donnell and Veronica Williams restored their 1906 Queen Anne, which is one of only three with the same cut stone exterior in the Newtown historic district.

Photo by Michelle Price

By Michelle Price

Published: Wednesday, February 1, 2006 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, January 31, 2006 at 10:33 a.m.

Queen Anne style, which dominated residential architecture from 1880-1910, by definition, is an eclectic merging of several architectural styles.

The home of Donnell and Veronica Williams is exactly that. Built in 1906 in the Newtown historical district of Tuscaloosa, it embraces elements from the in-coming Craftsman period while hanging on the essentials of the previous Victorian age.

During the Victorian period building styles were complex and flamboyant. That complexity is the antithesis of what the Craftsman style embraced and soon replaced the intricate Queen Anne style with it’s simplicity. During this transition, however, many builders adopted bits of the new style to use with the old and the result is a living history of that transition.

The Williamses embrace that history and have restored their home with an exacting attention to the home’s architectural integrity.

Donnell Williams says his favorite pastime has become working on his home. “We’ve restored it inside and out,” he said. “An old house gives you so much to work with.”

They began the restoration in 2002 and, although, the work appears to be complete, Williams says it is ongoing. “That’s the nature of an old house,” he said. “You really never complete a restoration. The more you do, the more you find. There’s a lot more work to be done.”

The Williams’ home has a somewhat unique look for a Queen Anne and for the area.

The exterior stones are thickly cut in a Romanesque style. While most Queen Annes are made of wood, many urban areas in the northeast used stone. To find this style in Tuscaloosa is surprising, Williams said. He says he doesn’t believe the stone is local, but he has not been able to determine where it might have been quarried.

Only a few homes with the same stone exterior exist in Tuscaloosa. While there are two others in the Newtown Historical District, there are also a couple in the historic neighborhood between downtown Tuscaloosa and the University.

Queen Anne interior style often features a cluster of reception rooms around an impressive central hall with entrance. The Williams’ home follows that pattern with a 20-foot-wide entrance hall that extends to the back of the house.

To the right is the parlor and to the left is Williams’ home office. Beyond the parlor is a formal dining room and behind that is a kitchen that has been completely renovated and updated.

They also updated the home’s two bathrooms, but Williams says they tried to keep the look consistent with the style of the house.

The home is decorated with furniture and accessories from the period in which the home was built — most are pieces that have been in his family for generations. However, the home office reflects Williams’ own personal style with furniture, accessories and fabrics from Africa and a collection of tribal masks that hang on the wall.

“I like the rugged African and Native American, ethnic looks,” he said. “It’s interesting how they all blend. They just work together.”

A large bedroom behind the home office belongs to Williams’ mother, Farris Williams.

The house is actually the home that Williams grew up in. His parents purchased it in 1972. When Williams and his wife moved back to Tuscaloosa a few years ago, they purchased the home and set off in their efforts to restore it.

“It was about to fall in,” he said. “Not much had been done since my father worked on it in the 70s.”

Throughout the home is a collection of Tiffany lamps and stained glass panels in the upstairs windows. Williams says the stained glass window treatments create a nice glow as night.

Furniture pieces reflect both the Victorian age and the Craftsman period. “You can blend a lot of styles and eras and you’d be surprised how it all blends,” Williams said. “You can dress up a Craftsman piece depending on what you put next to it. A Victorian sofa next to a Craftsman rocking chair — it all works.”

The three bedrooms upstairs are all L-shaped because of the dormers in the roof, which make the rooms somewhat small by today’s standards. But Williams says they were more interested in the exterior look of the home at that time than they were in space efficiency.

“You get these awkward spaces because of the dormers,” he said. “It’s a lot of wasted space that could have been utilized but I didn’t want to mess with the integrity of the house.”

Williams made a special effort to keep as many of the home’s original doors, windows and lighting fixtures as possible. When he did have to replace one, he was careful to find a reproduction that would reflect the same period in which the home was built.

“I try to always maintain the style of the house,” Williams said. “I want to keep the same style in my decorating. Contemporary furnishings take away from an old house.”

The Williamses have put several years of very hard work into rehabilitating a rare historic treasure that, if lost, they would truly miss.

“We’re proud of it,” Williams said. “You have to love it. You have to really be in love with this type of house to keep working on it. I have no regrets.”

<p>Queen Anne style, which dominated residential architecture from 1880-1910, by definition, is an eclectic merging of several architectural styles.</p><p>The home of Donnell and Veronica Williams is exactly that. Built in 1906 in the Newtown historical district of Tuscaloosa, it embraces elements from the in-coming Craftsman period while hanging on the essentials of the previous Victorian age.</p><p>During the Victorian period building styles were complex and flamboyant. That complexity is the antithesis of what the Craftsman style embraced and soon replaced the intricate Queen Anne style with it’s simplicity. During this transition, however, many builders adopted bits of the new style to use with the old and the result is a living history of that transition.</p><p>The Williamses embrace that history and have restored their home with an exacting attention to the home’s architectural integrity.</p><p>Donnell Williams says his favorite pastime has become working on his home. We’ve restored it inside and out, he said. An old house gives you so much to work with.</p><p>They began the restoration in 2002 and, although, the work appears to be complete, Williams says it is ongoing. That’s the nature of an old house, he said. You really never complete a restoration. The more you do, the more you find. There’s a lot more work to be done.</p><p>The Williams’ home has a somewhat unique look for a Queen Anne and for the area.</p><p>The exterior stones are thickly cut in a Romanesque style. While most Queen Annes are made of wood, many urban areas in the northeast used stone. To find this style in Tuscaloosa is surprising, Williams said. He says he doesn’t believe the stone is local, but he has not been able to determine where it might have been quarried.</p><p>Only a few homes with the same stone exterior exist in Tuscaloosa. While there are two others in the Newtown Historical District, there are also a couple in the historic neighborhood between downtown Tuscaloosa and the University.</p><p>Queen Anne interior style often features a cluster of reception rooms around an impressive central hall with entrance. The Williams’ home follows that pattern with a 20-foot-wide entrance hall that extends to the back of the house. </p><p>To the right is the parlor and to the left is Williams’ home office. Beyond the parlor is a formal dining room and behind that is a kitchen that has been completely renovated and updated. </p><p>They also updated the home’s two bathrooms, but Williams says they tried to keep the look consistent with the style of the house.</p><p>The home is decorated with furniture and accessories from the period in which the home was built  most are pieces that have been in his family for generations. However, the home office reflects Williams’ own personal style with furniture, accessories and fabrics from Africa and a collection of tribal masks that hang on the wall. </p><p>I like the rugged African and Native American, ethnic looks, he said. It’s interesting how they all blend. They just work together.</p><p>A large bedroom behind the home office belongs to Williams’ mother, Farris Williams. </p><p>The house is actually the home that Williams grew up in. His parents purchased it in 1972. When Williams and his wife moved back to Tuscaloosa a few years ago, they purchased the home and set off in their efforts to restore it. </p><p>It was about to fall in, he said. Not much had been done since my father worked on it in the 70s.</p><p>Throughout the home is a collection of Tiffany lamps and stained glass panels in the upstairs windows. Williams says the stained glass window treatments create a nice glow as night. </p><p>Furniture pieces reflect both the Victorian age and the Craftsman period. You can blend a lot of styles and eras and you’d be surprised how it all blends, Williams said. You can dress up a Craftsman piece depending on what you put next to it. A Victorian sofa next to a Craftsman rocking chair  it all works.</p><p>The three bedrooms upstairs are all L-shaped because of the dormers in the roof, which make the rooms somewhat small by today’s standards. But Williams says they were more interested in the exterior look of the home at that time than they were in space efficiency. </p><p>You get these awkward spaces because of the dormers, he said. It’s a lot of wasted space that could have been utilized but I didn’t want to mess with the integrity of the house.</p><p>Williams made a special effort to keep as many of the home’s original doors, windows and lighting fixtures as possible. When he did have to replace one, he was careful to find a reproduction that would reflect the same period in which the home was built. </p><p>I try to always maintain the style of the house, Williams said. I want to keep the same style in my decorating. Contemporary furnishings take away from an old house.</p><p>The Williamses have put several years of very hard work into rehabilitating a rare historic treasure that, if lost, they would truly miss. </p><p>We’re proud of it, Williams said. You have to love it. You have to really be in love with this type of house to keep working on it. I have no regrets.</p>